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“I was amazed by the level of energy that I had when striving to achieve my goals. I embraced a flexible mindset and enjoyed collaborating with my classmate. Being receptive to other point of views opened opportunities for innovative thinking. It all came down to being adaptable to my new lifestyle and including time-management strategies into daily routines. The outcome of my studies has been increased resilience and well-being.”

Golnaz Zilabi Class of 2019

Golnaz Zilabi, MBA(FS) Class of 2019

Golnaz Zilabi, Portfolio Analyst at RBC Wealth Management Private Banking, was a member of “IRIS Cameras,” International Business class team that finished 1st place in the GLO-BUS simulation exercise conducted during IB Winter 2018.

In a recent virtual interview, Golnaz shared her thoughts on accepting the challenge of a robust academic journey and how her studies influenced her personal and career goals.

Golnaz Zilabi:

My reasons for pursuing MBA studies were both personal and work-related. I recognized the MBA(FS) brand and Dalhousie’s prestigious reputation meant nationwide recognition of my credentials and an enhanced business and career standing within my profession. My position as senior account manager and extensive experience in the financial services industry provided an excellent foundation upon which to broaden my knowledge and strategic mindset. I am curious and have an infinite interest and appetite for deeper learning that opens new possibilities and career opportunities that come when interacting within large business networks. I appreciate connecting with other finance professionals and executives. Accepting an academic journey satisfied my innate need to explore new ideas and challenge myself to attain a greater understanding of our complex world.

There is no limit to what you can accomplish with an MBA(FS), given the variety of courses and material covered during the program. Students are furnished with solid basis of business fundamentals, specifically in financial industry. The future promises astonishing changes within our work forces and job functions. Professors create learning environments that promote vibrant dialogues and inspire leadership qualities. I always had a goal to take my career to a new direction and pursue opportunities and challenges which I had previously never encountered.

I viewed the MBA(FS) as an investment in myself with the aim of developing another versatile and valuable career path within my existing organization. My academic journey has influenced my career path even as it has transformed my personal outlook. I have developed my autonomy and strengthened my analytical skills and knowledge which I adhere in my day-to-day routines as a Portfolio Analyst. My management and communication skills have been heightened, adding personal credibility in my chosen career path.

As a Mother of two small children, I tackled the challenges of balancing my studies, career and spending quality time with my family. I received inspiration from my beloved husband and truly treasured his ongoing support and encouragement. The flexibility of program was invaluable. I appreciated how the Centre for Executive and Graduate Education tailored the courses to my individual needs and enabled me to develop a plan that fulfilled my commitments. I learned how to proactively prioritize and schedule my time. As soon as I figured out my rhythms, I was able to assign my times accordingly. I also considered my learning style and developed a model which worked for me most effectively. I used every resource available to me as a student and adapted to my new lifestyle.

I was amazed by the level of energy that I had when striving to achieve my goals. I embraced a flexible mindset and enjoyed collaborating with my classmate. Being receptive to other point of views opened opportunities for innovative thinking. It all came down to being adaptable to my new lifestyle and including time-management strategies into daily routines. The outcome of my studies has been increased resilience and well-being.

CEGE Connection is pleased to advise that Golnaz has graciously agreed to be a repeat contributor on CEGE Connection.

The Centre for Executive and Graduate Education (CEGE) provides opportunities for deeper learning by delivering robust course content in ways that engage students to study, integrate and apply what they have learned. Deeper learning fosters competencies required to participate within our social milieu: critical thinking, collaborative and communication skills. CEGE’s commitment to their students was dramatically evidenced in the GLO-BUS Simulation introduced by Dr. Carolan McLarney in the 2018 winter semester of International Business.

GLO-BUS is an International Business Strategy Simulation. Participants run companies that compete for global market leadership in two product categories: (1) wearable video cameras that deliver stunning video quality and have powerful photo capture capabilities (comparable to those designed and marketed by global industry leader GoPro) and (2) sophisticated camera-equipped copter drones that incorporate a company designed and assembled action- capture camera and that are sold to commercial enterprises.

Denise Hinds, Patrick Law and Golnaz Zilabi were members of “IRIS Cameras,” the class team that finished 1st place in the GLO-BUS simulation exercise conducted during IB Winter 2018. In late July, an invitation was given to “IRIS Cameras” to participate in the GLO-BUS Best-Strategy Invitational (BSI), an event to manage a GLO-BUS company in competition against companies from 10 to 11 other universities and business schools. The Invitational was to be conducted online from July 30 – August 18 and entailed a 10-round playing of GLO-BUS among participants from universities worldwide. Denise and Patrick accepted an invitation to represent Dalhousie University.

CEGE Connection reached out to Denise and Patrick for their insights into the BSI Invitational:

Denise Hinds & Patrick Law:

“Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others. Unsuccessful people are always asking, ‘What’s in it for me?’”

Brian Tracey

When we set out on the BSI journey, we agreed that we must believe that the product or service of our company would benefit others and be good for the world. We decided to name our company ‘Jenuine’ as a play on the word ‘Genuine’ and a way to represent our business beliefs. In addition, we were drawn to the meaning of “jen” which signifies “the cardinal Confucian virtue of benevolence to one’s fellowmen.”

“Begin with the end in mind.”

Stephen Covey

From the start, we worked with two principles to give us the edge over the other schools:

Long-term fundamentals beat short-term decisions every time: Other competitors will focus on short term gains because it feels good “in the moment” but does not guarantee long-term results. We used this knowledge to our advantage and directed our efforts on choosing sustainable strategies.

Measure what matters and ignore what doesn’t: Rather than revisiting past trends to determine whether our strategies were working out, we stayed focused on our competitive advantages. In the end, our company fundamentals were the most important benchmarks of our performance and success.

Speaking of competitive advantages, we wanted to set up a “moat”. We realized early on that our product had to be as different as possible in good ways. As Sir John Templeton once wrote, “If you want to have a better performance than the crowd, you must do things differently from the crowd.” We focused on developing a long term durable competitive advantage by selling/producing our products with larger margins than our competitors. To learn more on this topic, there is a great article on moats (durable competitive advantages): Measuring the Moat by Vishal Khandelwal.

“…investing isn’t about beating others at their game. It’s about controlling yourself at your own game.”

Benjamin Graham

We did several things to buy into the inherent margin of safety, from our high cumulative R&D approach; our sensitivity analysis activity; to the number of workstations added and robotic upgrade investments. Of course, forecasting and competitive assumptions played a significant role, as did marketing our product well. We agreed with Henry Ford, that “stopping advertising to save money is like stopping your watch to save time”.

The best way for us to strategize our next move, was to try to understand our competitors by preparing for every round. This in turn required us to review the competitive intelligence report, financial statistics, benchmarks pages to see if we were meeting or beating our targets (in order of importance). In the words of Warren Buffett, “risks come from not knowing what you’re doing.”

What do business students need to know?

“Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, and knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful.”

Samuel Johnson.

In everything we do, we must do it with integrity. As business students, we need to make long-term decisions for those long-term benefits. As students in the MBA (Leadership) stream, we chose to get involved in an extra-curricular activity to showcase our talents and education. We discovered that the GLO-BUS Best Strategy Invitational was not just about business strategies, ethics, marketing, competitor assumptions, financials, or player psychology. It was about a deeper, more profound recognition that we are involved within a global community that requires our highest participation and best efforts.

Dalhousie University and, in particular, the Centre for Executives and Graduate Education (CEGE) offers students the required lessons, the deeper learning to thrive within the competitive world of business. More importantly, CEGE creates an inclusive environment that fosters critical thinking about engaging within a world that offers many opportunities and possibilities.

The phrase, Life-Long Learning, has become an ubiquitous tagline that encompasses our need to explore new horizons and opportunities. Our curiosity to know what is around the next corner stirs our adventurous spirits.

Adventures, however, are not for the faint of heart, for there is ever the promise of risk, hard work and ambiguity. Applying for an MBA program takes courage and resolve, characteristics that will remain faithful companions on the road ahead.

CFAME Connection reached out to Denise Hinds, Team Leader at Scotiabank and a current student in CFAME’s MBA(FS) program, for her thoughts on what compelled her to enroll in an ambitious academic program.

Denise Hinds:

Why did you decide to enroll in an MBA program?

Working within the financial industry, complacency is not an option. We are witness to many changes, from industry disruptors, cultural shifts to technological advancements and off-shore operations. The decision to enroll in an MBA program came with the recognition that, to succeed, I must remain relevant and competitive by adding knowledge and experience to my personal brand. My pursuit of an MBA education began over two years ago, fueled by pride in my over two decades of valuable work experience, as well as an awareness that, as a woman of colour without an MBA, I face an additional obstacle in an already fierce job market.

Prior to embarking on my MBA journey, I attended several Dal alumni events hosted in Toronto, which offered an opportunity to connect with Connie Chang, Ming Yeung and other Dal alumni who shared my passion for education. They inspired me to look closely into the MBA(FS) program. Dr. Martine Durier-Copp’s presentation, ‘Transforming the Professional Landscape: Managing Virtual Teams’ resonated with my work experience at the time, which was supporting departments in Stratford and Montreal. Dr. Bertrum MacDonald spoke to me about Dalhousie University’s 200th celebration in 2018, to which I jokingly responded that the fireworks would be for my pending graduation from the program (2 years later – looks like I was off by 3 years). Over the years, I have had the privilege of working with Dal alumni who encourage and foster collaborative interactions: Michael Ford, Irena Stropnik, Glenn Chappell, Helen Emanual, Yvonne Zeabin, and Don Cook to name a few.

For me, a vital benefit of the MBA(FS) program is that it offers an amazing network of people, those that inspire me to do more, to learn more, and to become more.

I have completed several semesters of the MBA(FS) program. The question I ask myself after each assignment, late night studying, or exam, is why do I continue in the program? The sense of accomplishment and personal growth is a great feeling, but for me it is now more about inspiring others. I have the privilege of being sought out as a mentor. My enthusiasm, passion and perseverance, in both my career and this program, prompts others to aspire to life-long learning.

Despite the many challenges and excuses that are present, the decision to enroll and/or continue in an MBA program is ‘because it matters’.

How do you keep the balance between work, study and life?

By creating moments. Work, study and life (family) make up who I am; the balance is found when I devote, to each instance, my ambition. My time in the office is not over shadowed by a looming assignment or what to prepare for dinner. Studying happens by booking time aside, away from work and family (equally as important is the support of family to enable that). Family time is a priority and I capture every moment I can with my little one, from dropping him off at school in the morning to doing arts and crafts with him when I get home. For me, it is about focus on what is important in the present.

There are always unplanned circumstances and exceptions that throw the balance out of sorts (e.g. 14-hour work days for several weeks straight; a sick family member; or term paper/group assignment requiring additional work sessions). With only 24 hours in a day, a full-time job and 14-20 hours a week dedicated to studying, balance comes down to making the most of the time I have.

Balance starts from within, with how I choose to live each day, organize my routines, and ensure I am getting enough sleep. There is a time and place for work and a time and place for study, but life is just that. The balance between work, study and life is made possible when I am in every moment.